Kallian's Alphabet
by Of Quirky Excellence
Summary: Character exploration meme done for my Warden, Kallian Tabris
1. A is for Alistair

Kallian's Alphabet

OfQuirkyExcellence

A is for Alistair

With my Grey Warden, Kallian Tabris, to better my writing

She closed her eyes as he gently caressed her cheek. It had been a long day, and she had only now stopped worrying about him. He had taken a harsh wound earlier that day and he had only now convinced her he was alright.

The gash just above his hip had been due to a Hurlock rogue. The darkspawn were more and more numerous as they sensed the two Wardens to be a bigger threat.

Wynne had bandaged and cleaned the wound, and Kallian had stood by him, holding his hand the whole time.

"Where are we heading tomorrow?" he asked, his hand in hers.

"We're staying put." She said, almost expecting him to argue.

"Why, Kallie? We need to keep moving. We have to get to the Dalish Encampment." he argued.

"You are injured, Alistair. We could all use a rest anyway."

She was silver-tongued, and even Alistair, who could be very stubborn, was swayed by her.

"I suppose there would be no harm in a day off. Should be kind of relaxing, actually."

She nodded. "Let's go to bed." Tenderly, he took her into his arms and held her close, kissing her passionately on the lips.

"I love you."he said, releasing her as she helped him into the cot they now slept on together.

"I love you more."she said with a smirk.

He smiled as she cuddled up close to him for warmth, and the two Wardens fell asleep in each other's arms.


	2. B is for Bitch

Kallian's Alphabet

OfQuirkyExcellence

B is for Bitch

"Yes, well, aside from her being a complete and utter _bitch,_ no, we do not like each other at all." Said Alistair, light humor in his voice as well as seriousness, if that makes sense at all.

"It's true, but she's useful and she's done nothing to harm us." Kallie said, laughing at Alistair's language. It wasn't often that he let one out, but when he did, she couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, but don't forget that she's dangerous, and evil and _mean."  
>And a complete and utter bitch. <em>Kallie added mentally.

As they pulled up camp that morning, Morrigan confronted them, though she seemed calm about it.

"You two had quite the discussion last night." She said simply. "I can live with Alistair hating me, as I would expect nothing more from a Templar, but let's not forget you'd both be dead had it not been for my mother and I."

"My mother _and I?_" Alistair said, annoyed. "You said yourself that you did nothing."

"Alistair, her mother sent her to help us, and we promised she would come to no harm. We owe her mother, so bite your tongue."  
>"You are not completely innocent either, Kallian." Morrigan said. "I heard you laughing and agreeing with him."<br>"Look, Morrigan, you could try to be a little nicer to us all, you know. "  
>Just as Kallie said this, Leliana walked over.<p>

"Whoa. Awkward time to walk into you three, I see."

Morrigan glared at the normally cheerful bard. "What say you. Do I need to change, or does Alistair just lack the proper parts to cope?"

Kallie snarled. "Void take you, you heartless shrew!" She quickly punched Morrigan in the stomach. The mage retaliated and she threw another punch, this time missing Morrigan altogether. Morrigan threw a punch, hitting Kallie square in the eye. Kallie fell to the ground. Alistair rushed to her side and Leliana held Morrigan back.

"Get _off _me!" the black-clad mage shrieked to Leliana, shaking her off. Alistair helped Kallian up quickly. Kallie wouldn't take her hand off her now-blackened eye.

Alistair glared at Morrigan with disgust. "Get out of my sight before I do something I will regret!"

Morrigan glared right back at him, a defiant look in her amber eyes.

Kallie grabbed Alistair's arm as he lunged toward Morrigan, ready to burst into a fit of anger at the apostate.

"Stop! There is no reason for this. Morrigan is my friend. This was all so stupid! Leliana, go and fetch Wynne to check my eye. We can't go into Denerim with me looking like this."

Morrigan softened her expression a tiny bit. "But you started the fight…"

"Lay off Alistair. Please." The elf pleaded. "I lost it. I'm sorry, Morrigan. I will never strike you again. Ever."

Morrigan nodded. "Nor I you." Said the mage. "Tis quite the punch you can throw."

"Heh. You too, Morgs. Is my eye bad?" she asked, taking her hand off for the first time.

"I will heal it. It seems as if I have no guilt, no ability to look back, but I do." Said Morrigan.

Morrigan moved her hand towards Kallian's eye, slowly this time, and held out flat rather than in a fist. A blueish mist hovered above her hand and it floated to Kallian's head, slowly healing her bruised eye and allowing her to open and close it again.

"Thank you, and I'm sorry again." Kallie said. She threw her arms around the tall mage's neck and hugged her. Alistair stood in shock, watching his love and his enemy repair their friendship. Morrigan awkwardly accepted Kallie's apologetic hug, and after a moment, hugged back.

"All's well and ends well." Leliana said as she came back with Wynne. "Come on, Wynne. Let's see if Sten needs our help.


	3. C is for Comfort

Kallian's Alphabet

OfQuirkyExcellence

C is for Comfort

**A/N: Jowan is in the party due to another fic I wrote, if you read this one do not spoil the other one please! His arm was permanently damaged when Isolde had him tortured at Redcliffe, and he used a one handed-staff.**

"Leliana, something seems to be bothering you. I can see it in your eyes."Kallian said. The boys had gone to practice Archery, with the exception of Zevran, who insisted he needed no practice, and Jowan, whose damaged arm was of no use holding a bow. Leliana and Kallie were the only ones still awake, as it was getting quite late.

"Marjoliane…" the bard mused. "She said that to me once. Or something similar. She said she could see pain in my eyes whenever I had it. Never mind, this is no concern of yours. We killed her anyway, and I can't say I feel completely free of her."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kallie asked. "I'm all ears…" Kallie rarely mentioned the fact that she was an elf, as her status as a Grey Warden sometimes made her forget,and she rarely had to point herself out because of her ears, but she did have a unique sense of humor.

"That's not funny." Leliana said, glaring at Kallie with intense blue eyes. "At least not now."

"Leliana, I meant it. If you need to talk, I'm always here to listen."

"Alright. After Marjoliane's death, I've been having these nightmares. About…when she had me captured and when those mercenaries…did terrible things to me." Leliana paused, wiping new tears away so Kallie didn't see them.

"They taunted me," she continued, "and even after I told them what I thought would end it, they continued to use those horrible instruments of torture on me. I couldn't make it stop, no matter what I said, they wouldn't even let up, until I looked the leader in the eye and asked 'why?' he told me it was fun, he was a sick man. I see him now only in nightmares, thank the Maker. But it seems so real…"

Kallie took Leliana into her arms and the bard cried into her shoulder, soaking the elf's long, wavy brown hair with pained tears. "No one will ever hurt you again." Kallie said with confidence.

"This is why I was intent on saving Jowan. I told him what you just told me, that nobody would ever do such things to him again. I felt his pain, the trauma of what happened with Isolde, how nothing he said would make it stop…it all sounded so familiar. Those men…it's time you knew, did more than inflict wounds upon my body. They violated me, I'm probably right to assume they hadn't seen a woman in months, other than Marjoliane, and if they tried anything with her she would have them killed for sure. But I was nothing but a plaything to them. They…raped me, took turns on me. I was young and a virgin, and it hurt."

Kallie interrupted her here. "What? You didn't tell me? Leliana, you could not possibly have kept this to yourself for so long."

"I was afraid. I didn't know who to trust. After Marjoliane…met her end, I knew I could trust you. Jowan knows, too. I told him last night. He was there when I killed Marjoliane, and he knew something wasn't quite right. When I told him, he held me in his arms, and told me it was alright. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry."

"But Leliana, that's such a big burden to carry! You could have told me anytime, Leliana. You are my best friend."

"Thank you. It is comforting to know I can trust you, Kallie."

"You should rest, Leli. Jowan's probably waiting for you. "Kallie said, remembering that she had not slept one night outside his tent since they got together.

"I am so tired." Leliana agreed, nodding, and she went to the tent she and Jowan shared, and all was silent.


	4. D is for Differences

Kallian's Alphabet

D is for Differences

Of Quirky Excellence

**A/N: Any conversations or characters you recognize belong to Bioware. Kallie is mine.**

"DO you know what this is?" Alistair asked Kallie as they moved slowly through the Brecillian forest back to the campsite. He held a rose up to her and she stopped, amused, that he would give her such a beautiful thing while they were covered in the blood of werewolves.

"Your new weapon of choice?"

"Yes, that's right! Watch, as I thrash our enemies with the mighty power of floral arrangements! Fear my thorns, Darkspawn! I will over power you with my rosy scent!..."

He paused, realizing that Jowan, Leliana and Kallian were all staring at him, holding back laughter. Jowan and Leliana moved ahead, allowing them some space.

"Or, you know, it could just be a rose. I know that's pretty dull in comparison."

"Sentiment can be a pretty potent weapon if you ask me." She said, grinning and playing along with his joke.

"Is it that easy to see right through me? I guess I shouldn't be surprised."  
>Then he told her of where he had picked the rose and why.<p>

"I guess it sort of reminded me of you, something so beautiful in a place so…dark."

Kallie smiled. She loved it when he called her beautiful. "Alistair, you think I'm beautiful?"

"_Maker, yes!" _he exclaimed. "Have I never told you?"

"It's alright, I like it when you say that," she said, grinning cheekily.

"I'm glad, because you will hear it pretty often if I have anything to do with it." He said, caressing her cheek.

"I do have a question, however. Don't you care that I'm an elf?" she asked, her smile fading into a serious gaze, her light blue eyes staring into his deep brown ones.

"Kallian, I love you no matter what you are!" he said, a little surprised."What is the difference anyhow, your ears? So what if they're longer? I'm no racist, Kallie. Don't ever think I am for a moment."

"That is comforting to know." She said, leaning close to him in an embrace.

"Wardens, are you coming?" Jowan called.

"My apologies, Jowan, we're on our way!"

"Hurry! There are Darkspawn, I hear at least two Hurlocks." Leliana called from her perch in a nearby oak tree.

"To arms then! " Kallian cried out as the two Wardens drew their swords, Jowan getting into position beside them with his staff, and Leliana nocking an arrow to her bow from her vantage point in the tree.

"Right. Let's kick some ass!" Alistair said, winking at Kallie.


End file.
